A Tight Home is a Good Thing – Right?

Building tight, energy-efficient homes is nothing new. In fact, it is standard practice for most builders and remodelers. While nobody will argue that building a tight home is necessary, there are unintended consequences of such energy saving measures. Homes across the country are experiencing interior moisture buildup resulting in uncomfortable living conditions, homeowner health issues and in extreme cases – significant structural damage.

Industry experts agree that changing building techniques and materials have resulted in the need to consider moisture control in tight homes across the country.

According to Building Science Corporation, a leading expert on high-performance home building techniques, most air conditioning equipment will not have the capability of removing the moisture load without over cooling the space. This is a condition that is likely to result in other problems. Supplemental dehumidification can complement the capability of the air conditioning system to remove moisture from air within the conditioned space, even in a tight home.